Do you remember that my web page says my waist size is 38"?  That has been the case for several years.  However, certain astute readers may have noticed that when I measured myself in "The Naked Truth", my waist size was 40".  How does one reconcile these seemingly incompatible facts?  There are kinder, gentler explanations like, "depending on where you wear your pants, they may not be around the widest part of your waist."  A more truthful telling is that  all those years I was a size "38"" at least some of them was because, by gosh, I was not going to have a size 40" pants, even if I might have needed them.  38" became my Maginot line, one that must not be crossed, no matter what or how much pain might be involved.  A low point during that time was when a very well meaning relative gave me a pair of pants with a hidden, expando waist band.  I wore them a few times, but they ultimately  felt too shameful, so I gave them to Good Will.  

Although I understand why it is a good idea to write down, keep a record of what I eat, but I must tell you that I have strongly resisted it.  Over the years I have tried in dribs and drabs, but usually, I have managed no more than two or three days in a row.

Why is it important?  It is a record I can measure to determine how many calories I have consumed and evaluate objectively in terms of healthy/unhealthy, too much fat, too little protein.  However, as logical as it may be, I hate the idea of being so restrained, so anal.  Part of my self concept, my very nature is that I am free wheeling, adjusting on the fly, going with the flow.  The problem is that eating that way, eating how I feel, has led me to be over-weight.

I have a confession.  For a time, I did the electronic version of Weight Watchers.  It is basically a good system, in that it helps you keep track of what you eat and it converts that record into daily points (calories).  But after about a month of doing it, I hit a technical glitch and or lost interest.  My confession is that I then paid for the service for over a year  ($16 per month) without using it at all.  My theory was that my spending/the waste would "force" me to do it.  That approach did not work  and I cancelled my membership at the end of last year,  poorer and hopefully wiser.  

A few people have asked, "what is your plan?"  Here it is:  after reading Dr. Kessler's book The End of Overeating, first and foremost, I am trying to avoid sugar, fat, and salt, in that order, and especially foods that layer those things.  I am pretty much avoiding sweets all together and things like pizza and processed foods are  out.   Other than that, I am trying to consume 1900 calories or less per day, as recommended by My Fitness Pal.  I am using that site to track my food consumption and exercise, which converts it to a daily caloric consumption total that I can measure against my goal.  I am exercising more intently and on average five days a week, however, I am using exercise as a supplement with my main focus being limiting caloric intake.  Finally, I am doing this, writing my blog every day about this experience in an effort to be publicly accountable.  I think an important part of the process is receiving the supportive comments from you, so please keep them coming.  Again, I am doing all this with a goal of losing an average of  1 lb per week until I reach a more healthy weight for me of 178 lbs, which I plan to maintain for the rest of my life.  At the end of this process I want to be strong, fit and flexible.

Consumption:

Cheerios and Chex bran cereal with milk
banana 
Tomato soup
Cheese bread stick
Chocolate milk
Salad with oil and vinegar dressing
1.5 crab cakes
Bowl of cabbage soup
Glass of milk
4 crackers
2 cups of popcorn

Exercise:

None.

My Fitness Pal calculated I was 50 calories inside of my daily goal.

I used to work for a man who was in great shape.  He ran regularly and was careful  about  his diet to avoid foods that were bad for him.  As I got to know him better, I learned that his father had passed away from a heart attack when my boss was 16 years old.  I made the connection between that experience and how well my boss took care of himself.  I told him there were heart  issues in my family, too.  Without any hesitation at all he asked me what I was doing about it.  His directness caught me off guard, but I understood it.  Here was a guy who had suffered the consequences of losing his father while he himself was still a child.  I think I probably stammered some incoherent answer to his question about one of my half baked schemes at the time, but deep down I knew that I was not taking the risk seriously or acting upon it. 

At the time of that conversation, I was in my mid-thirties with young children.  Now my oldest child will turn 16 this summer.

Consumption:

Bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios  and Bran Chex cereal with milk
Half a grapefruit
Chicken pesto sandwich
½ bagel with crème cheese
Egg and steak burrito
Half a cup of blueberries
6 oz breaded chicken
cup of broccoli
Two slices of French bread
Cup of milk

Exercise:

30 minutes on the elliptical machine holding a 10 lb barbell in each hand.

My Fitness Pal gave me 325 extra calories for the exercise so I met my food goal for the day.

We have this idea in America that men should be bigand  strong.  I am 5’11”  and it really irritates me that I never made it to 6 feet.  I am sure that if I was 6 feet, I would then want to be 6 ‘2”.  When I go to the doctor for my physical and they measure me, I secretly hope that I had one last growth spurt to get there.  I am 45 years old.

Fortunately, I have never been called Hoss to my face, but some people consider me big because I have broad shoulders and frankly because of my weight.  I suppose there is a basic respect for dominant mass in our society, probably bred from our cave man times, and I have benefited from that perception.

However, there is a fallacy in the logic that mass equals strength.  I am a case in point.  Assuming that my ideal weight is 178 lbs and a healthy adult male would have 8% body fat, then compared to my weight at the start of the year – 224 lbs, assuming all the extra was fat, then 35% of my body weight was fat.  That might be a healthy percentage for a walrus, but it was not so good for me.

On the other hand, I believe I was strongest when I was in high-school.  Back then, I could bench press 200 lbs and I weighed between 165 and 170.  I think now I would struggle to lift 150 lbs.  There, using my amazing powers of logic, I have proven that big does not equal strong and therefore should not be the goal.

Consumption:

Honey nut cheerios and bran chex cereal with milk
25 almonds
Chicken pesto sandwich
Carrots
Apple
Flank steak and kale
Cabbage soup
4 crackers
2 slices of cheddar cheese
Glass of white wine

Exercise:

None

My Fitness Pal calculated my consumption 150 calories below my goal of 1900.